Rope clamp



A. B. KRAUSE June 6, 1933.

ROPE CLAMP Filed Nov. 15, 1952 Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .ALBERT BzKBAUSE, F PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'IO ANTON BREZIN'SKI, 0F PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY ROPE CLAMP Application led Novemberl, 1932. `Serial No. 642,697.

This invention relates to improvements in rope clamps, and has particular reference to a device for releasably connecting the ends of a rope or clothes line together.

The primary object of the invention resides in a clamping device es ecially adaptedlfor connecting the ends o a clothes llne together and which may be operated when necessary to take upv any slack as it may occur due to stretching of the line under the weight of articles supported thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clothes line clamp in which the greater the pull upon the line, the greater will be 15 the clamping action produced thereby.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothes line clamp which is simple and inexpensive of construction, and strong andv durable for the 'purpose'intended With these and other objects in view, the

invention resides in the certain novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are ereinafter fully described,'are particularly pointedout'in the appended c1aims,' and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

which:

Figure 1 is a ventlon in use.

Fi re 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectiona` view therethrough. Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view.

perspective view of the in- Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the clamping device showing the clamping cam at the limit of its'movement to an inoperative position in full lines, and at the limit of its movement to operable position in dot and dash lines. t

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral 10 designates the imroved clothes line clamp or connector :in y lts entirety which includes a'substantially U-shaped casing 11 constructed of sheet metal and bent into the shape mentioned. Mounted'in the side walls 12-12 of the casing vllyis' a shaft 13, and pivotallymounted upon the shaft is a cam or eccentric clamp- 59' ing wheel 14. The opposite iiat sides of the clampin wheel 14 are formed with annular shou ders or flanges 15 which spaces the friction surface '16 on the periphery of the" clamping' wheel from the o posite side walls of the casing. Normally, t e cam or clamps 4ing wheel 14 assumes aposition .shown in full lines in Figure 5 of the drawing as it will drop to this position under its own weight but forpreventin the movement of v the cam wheel past a dea center, a stop lug 'lo 16 is stamped inwardly from one of the side walls 12 of ,the casing. This lug engages one of the shoulders 15 of the cam wheel to limit the turning movements of the cam or eccentricl wheel in opposite directions. l The bight portion 17 of the U-shaped casing is provided with an inwardly extending transversely disposed rib 18 and which is disposed to one side of thepvertical axis'ofl the cam wheel to produce a kink in the ,o

line when the clamping wheel is in clamp;V

ing engagement in a manner resently to explained. The opposite enc of the bightv portion are bent or curved outwardly as 4at 19 to prevent the line to be clamped from 715 coming in contact with an sharp edges.

Carried by one end of the casing-11 is an i attaching means in the form of an eye or loop member 20, the same being constructed of ,a 'single length of bendable Vwire and 30 having its ends terminating in inwardly extending pintles 21 which are received in bearings 22 stamped from opposite sides of the casing. Thus the eye or loop member 2O is pivoted for swinging movement relative 35 to the casing 11. f

In practice,4 the clamping device is especially 'adapted for use' in connection with clothes lin'es where it is desired'to connect two ends of a rope together in order to produce an endless line usuall run overa pair of spaced pulleys. In suc use, one end of the rope A is tied or knotted to the loop or' eye 20 whereas the free endV B is inserted into. that end of the casing 11 opposite to that on 95 which the eye or loop 20 is carried. i When inserting the free end B of the rope, assume that the cam or clamping wheel `14 is in the inoperative position shown in'full lines in Figure 5. The operator pulls the free end weight of the line or rope beyond the clampof theline B through the casing and exerts ing the turning movement of said clamping a downward pressure upon the clamping wheel in opposlte directions. l Wheel14. After the free end of the line has Signed at Perth Amboy, N. J. thls 11th been pulled taut, it is released and the day of November 1932.

. ALBERT B. KRAUSE. 7 ing device will cause the cam wheel 14 to automatically swing upwardly to clamping position as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. When in this position, the bight por- 10 tion 17 of the casing cooperates with the 7.

clamping wheel 14 to tightly grip the free end of the rope and the rib 18 causes the kinking of the rope adjacent to the point at which it is clamped thus assuring a ositive connection between the free ends of t e rope 8 and the clamping device. Should it be desired to release the free end B of the rope,

it is only necessary for the operator to pull upon the said free end to relieve the pull or tension upon the rope whereupon the cam wheel 14 will drop to the position shown in full lines in Figure 5 of the drawing. In the functioning of the device, it will be noted :that the greater the pull upon thelrope or iline being clamped, the greater willbe the clamping action produced thereby.

Although I have specifically stated that the device may be used for connecting two ends of a single rope, it will be a preciated that it ma be used for releasab y holding one end o the rope in which case the eye or loop member 20 is engaged with a hook or other supporting member.

While I have shown and described what I deem to be the most desirable embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that various changes that come within the scope of the appended'claims may be re sorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

1. A rope connector comprising a substantially U-shaped casing, attaching means carried by said casing, a shaft mounted in opposite side walls of said casing, a clamping wheel eccentrically mounted on said shaft, an annular shoulder` formed on one side of said clamping wheelyand concentric with respect to the axis thereof, and a stop lug stamped from the adjacent side wall of said U-shaped casing and. positioned in the path of said shoulder for engagement thereby for limiting the turning movement of said clamping wheel in opposite directions to avoid the clamping wheel 'from reaching a dead center during its turning movement.

2. In a rope connector, a casing, attaching means carried by said casing, a clamping wheel eccentrically pivoted within said casing, a shoulder formed on one side of said clamping wheel, anda stop lug extending inwardly from the adjacent Wall of said casing and positioned in the path of said shoulder for engagement thereby for limit- 

